Library of UN Materials Relevant for Climate Change Learning

This analytical report highlights that standardizing efficiency characteristics could reduce energy consumptions and greenhouse emissions of external power supplies by up to 50 per cent. It underlines opportunities to achieve further reductions in e-waste, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by widening the range of ICTs supported by power adaptors and standardizing design parameters able to optimize these adaptors’ eco-efficiency. It raises awareness on the contribution of innovative technology to sustainability. It presents the results of a study of 300 available adapters, both for ICT and non-ICT use. The report suggests that an environmentally friendly design could result in savings of more than 30 per cent of the materials used to build the devices. Finally, this report focuses on efforts for improving energy efficiency wherever possible by building a responsible world through ICT-enabled transformation.

This technical document speaks of minerals as key inputs for products of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. A feature of this is that much of the outputs of these minerals are by small-scale mining. This means that the livelihood of much of the population depends on a sustainable minerals supply chain. However, due to global spotlights on the contributing role of artisanally-mined minerals with the financing of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s on-going armed conflict, these minerals have become symbolic of conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the nine adjoining states. This document however raises overlooked issues of artisanal and industrial mining of minerals impacts on two of the most important ecosystems on Earth: the Congo Basin and the Albertine Rift. This document points at the efforts to safeguard and protect ecological resilience.

This analytical report focuses on exploring an increasingly important question: how can developing countries effectively integrate Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) tools within climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies? The contribution of this report is two-fold. It presents the potential of ICTs towards adaptation and mitigation through the concrete case of Ghana, illustrating the challenges and opportunities faced by developing countries in this field. The report complements this analysis by offering concrete lessons learned and practical suggestions aimed at developing country decision makers and practitioners, thus fostering the adoption of novel, ICT-supported approaches to climate change adaptation and mitigation. This document is composed of two reports that present complementary views on the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change to developing countries in the fields of adaptation and mitigation.

This analytical report aims to show how broadband can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. It argues that to fulfill this potential a new policy framework is required. To illustrate this, the report showcases best government practices in mobilizing information and communication technologies (ICT) to reduce GHGs and build inclusive societies. This report proposes ten recommendations for policy makers with the aim to hasten and strengthen the ability of ICT and broadband to accelerate global progress towards the low-carbon economy.

This analytical report speaks of the ocean’s storage of heat and carbon and its connection with the rate and degree of changes in climate and in the Earth climate system. Long-time series data requires cable systems that join continents and form the fabric of the Internet. These cables appear to offer a low cost support mechanism for the placement of instruments to obtain time series data. This report considers the implications for telecommunications companies.  It explores existing technologies, future green ones, some assumptions and their responses, and finally, some evaluations and considerations with regards to the findings collected in this report. The report concludes that it is feasible to support a modest number of low power instruments in green repeaters.

This technical document identifies a path for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO/IOC), to consider for enabling the availability of submarine repeaters equipped with scientific sensors for climate monitoring and disaster risk reduction. It primarily addresses the "Call to Action" of the ITU, WMO, and UNESCO/IOC workshop: Submarine Cables for Ocean/Climate Monitoring and Disaster Warning: Science, Engineering, Business and Law, held in Rome, Italy, 8-9 September 2011, with focus on the second point of the Call: to develop a strategy that enables the availability of submarine repeaters equipped with scientific sensors for climate monitoring and disaster risk reduction in the future. It also addresses discussions and questions raised in subtopics at the workshop regarding scientific sensors and submarine cable repeaters, and outlines the next steps forward to sustain momentum generated by the Rome workshop.

This analytical report discusses the linkage between climate change and the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, with a specific focus on telecommunications. It considers the special relationship between ICTs and climate change as the context for exploring whether the nature of the relationship ought to include a special role for regulators. Specifically, the paper considers whether the nature of the special position between ICT players and climate change suggests that ICT sector regulators, particularly those in charge of regulating telecommunications service providers (TSPs), should have a more active role in environmental protection and should consider climate change issues when making decisions concerning TSPs.

This analytical report aims to show how broadband can contribute to reducing GHG, as well as mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. To illustrate this, this report showcases best government practices in mobilizing ICT to reduce GHGs and build inclusive societies. This report proposes 10 recommendations for policy makers to hasten and strengthen the ability of ICT and broadband to accelerate global progress towards the low-carbon economy and further progress towards achieving the four targets set by the Broadband Commission. The report is based on interviews and supporting material from leaders and experts in the field, spanning a broad stakeholder group of industry, government, academia and international organizations. This includes several members of the Broadband Commission, representatives from several national governments and other experts.

This analytical report highlights that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be used in a number of ways to meet the requirements of the three main pillars of the Bali Action Plan arising from COP-13 in December 2007. These are: enhanced action on adaptation, cooperative action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and actions on mitigation of climate change. ICTs can address these and the problems that all countries (particularly developing countries) face with respect to climate change. ICTs can be used to mitigate the impact of other sectors on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to help countries adapt to climate change.

This activity report was prepared specially for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Symposium on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Climate Change, in Quito, Ecuador, 8-10 July 2009. It examines the ways in which ICTs contribute to global warming, but also how they can be used to monitor, mitigate and adapt to climate change. It also highlights that the actions of the ICT industry have to be a coordinated part of a wider, global initiative, and that is why the outcomes of the ITU symposia will contribute to ongoing work in the ITU and elsewhere. Technology-based solutions have to be backed up by political will and a genuine desire to change the direction in which humanity is heading, in order to avoid a planetary crisis caused by climate change.

This manual aims to help countries, jurisdictions, communities and organizations, particularly those in the developing world, assess the contribution that information and communication technologies (ICTs) can make to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as part of a national climate change strategy and action plan. The toolkit proposes an approach and some tools for this purpose. It also  considers the readiness of countries and jurisdictions to use ICTs for mitigating and adjusting to the impacts of climate change. This readiness assessment is based on the use of indicators. Indicators of the readiness of countries are captured using the e-Environment Readiness Index (EERI).

This video features a summary of climate change negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark during COP15 with a special focus on international and communications technologies (ICTs). These can be part of  the solution to combat climate change as they are particularly useful for monitoring and mitigation activities. Therefore, it is important to raise awareness on the ICTs sector and its potential among the delegates and include it in the final text of the negotiations.

This technical document provides comprehensive technical and operational information on current observation applications and systems and on the use of radio frequencies by meteorological systems, including meteorological satellites, radiosondes, weather radars, wind profiler radars and spaceborne remote sensing. It is intended for the meteorological (i.e. weather, water and climate) and radiocommunication communities, including governmental institutions, industry as well as the general public.

This analytical report reviews key Information and Communications Technology (ICT) trends and provides an overview of the impact that ICTs have on the environment and climate change as well as their role in helping mankind to mitigate and adapt to these changes. Intended as guidelines for developing countries, the report approaches the topic from a developmental perspective and is based on consultations with key actors and extensive online research. It documents current activities and initiatives and makes a set of recommendations for strengthening the capacity of developing countries to make beneficial use of ICTs to mitigate and adapt to environmental change, including climate change.

This video features an interview with Malcom Johnson, Director of the Standardization Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) talking about the increasing emphasis on green Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and ICT standards for climate change.